


All I Ask of You

by MusicReject



Series: Song Verse [4]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alex saves the day, Alexander and John find happiness, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Cuties, Fluff, Happy Ending, Henry Laurens is the actual worst father, John Saves The Day, M/M, Nightmare, Prom, high school!au, one paragraph is extreme fluff, they deserve happiness, this took me two weeks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-26
Updated: 2016-10-26
Packaged: 2018-08-27 04:10:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8386696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusicReject/pseuds/MusicReject
Summary: Say you'll love me every waking momentTurn my head with talk of summer timeSay you need me with you now and alwaysPromise me that all you say is trueThat's all I ask of you





	

John met Alexander shortly before winter break during his freshman year of high school. Lafayette dragged the, seemingly reluctant, boy towards their group one morning.

“Bonjour mes amis!” the Frenchman called to the group as the pair neared, “this is my brother, Alexander!”

Alexander looked up at the sound of his name, eyes widening when he sees the group.

“These are mes amis, petit Alexander,” Laf spoke softly to the boy as he held his hand tightly, temporarily grounding him.

“Hey man,” Hercules said, waving at him from  his spot on the bench, “I’m Hercules.” And so they went through introductions with the Schuyler sisters and Burr, before landing on John.

“Hi, I’m John. John Laurens,” he said, reaching out his hand for a handshake, the habit ingrained in him from his father.

Alexander stared at him in silence but before John could put his hand down and apologize for overstepping a boundary, Alexander reached out and grasped John’s hand. Cold slender fingers wrapped around John’s warm hand and a shock went through his arm, straight to his heart and effectively cutting off his brain’s protests.

“I’m Alexander,” he said, finally meeting John’s eyes. Eyes the color of a leather book, filled to the brim with the written word and deeply cherished, meet eyes the color of early fall, as if the earth itself filled them with color.

Hercules threw his arm around John’s shoulders, startling him enough that he dropped Alexander’s hand, “well, the bell’s about to right and, as much as I love to see you two hold hands, I don’t want John to make us late again.”

“That was one time!” John replied exasperated, following the laughing group inside.

 

**\---------------------**

Contrary to what Laf may say, it wasn’t an immediate friendship. In fact, it was rocky at the start. Alexander practically refused to speak more than a few words to anyone but Lafayette.

 

Around 3 a.m. one Wednesday morning, about 5 months later, Alexander took a chance and messaged the group chat about nightmare he just woke up from. John was the only one awake and, when seeing Alexander’s frantic choppy texts light up his phone, he typed a quick reply and climbed out his window. Ignoring his bike resting against the side of his house, he ran to the Washington’s. Halfway there he realized it started to rain so he ran faster.

Somehow he managed to climb the side of the Washington’s house and tap on Alexander’s window.

The window was thrown open and he was pulled into the warm room, and arms, of Alexander Hamilton. He buried his face in John’s chest and John wrapped his arms tightly around the crying boy.

“Sshh,” John whispered, stroking Alexander’s hair, “do you want to talk about it?”

Alex shook his head and crowded closer to John as the rain fell heavier. Alex yelped when thunder shook the closed window. John led the shaking boy to his bed just as lightning lit up the room and Alexander collapsed onto the bed, pulling John with him.

John pulled Alex back against him, “what’s going on, Alexander?”

“Alex”

“Hmm?” he questioned.

“We’re cuddling, John. You can call me Alex,” he responds, jumping when thunder rumbles.

“Okay, Alex,” John replied, resuming running his fingers through Alex’s hair, “what’s going on?”

Alex stayed silent, seemingly deep in thought, and the only thing that could be heard was the pounding of rain against the window. Before John could change the subject though, ALex took a deep breath and responded, “I’m scared.”

“Of what?” John prompted gently.

“It’s so dark, John. Not just out there but in my head and I can’t,” Alex paused for a second to gather his scattered thoughts, “I can’t make it stop. Then the night made it worse, I can’t make it go away, nothing’s working,” he buried his face back in John’s chest and John could feel tears dampening the front of his pajama top.

“What was the nightmare about?” John asked, rubbing circles into Alexander’s shoulder blade, “it might help to talk about it.”

Alexander spoke quickly, words tripping over themselves in their rush to fall from his mouth, “I was running and it was hot. So so hot. Then water started rising and, at first, it was just at my ankles but the further I ran the higher it rose and I could see my mom,” he gripped the front of John’s shirt in his hands, “she was already dead when _it_ happened but she was reaching out for me and calling for me and if I could just… if I could just-” he broke off with a sob, “if I could just reach her then everything would be okay again. She was sunny and dry and kept repeated, ‘stay alive, mi sol. Stay alive,’ and I… I couldn’t move anymore.” John couldn’t make out the rest of his words, he was speaking so fast. Alexander’s sentences were punctuated by sobs as he cried, and spoke, into John’s shirt.

John was helpless, he rubbed Alexander’s back as he tried to figure out what to say in response. Eventually he tapped Alex’s shoulder until the boy pulled away and looked up at John.

John cupped Alex’s face in his hands and used his thumbs to wipe away Alex’s tears, “sshh, no more talk of darkness. I’m here, nothing can harm you.”

John continued to gently wipe away Alex’s tears and whisper calmly to him until he began to crack a smile, though the smile was broken by a yawn.

“Get some sleep, Alex,” John murmured, getting up from Alexander’s bed.

“Wait,” Alex said, grabbing John’s wrist to stop him from moving, “will you stay? I know it’s late and I shouldn’t be asking you this. I’m just really scared but I know I don’t know you that well so if you don’t want to I understand-”

“Alex,” John says, cutting him off, “I’d be honored to stay.” He took off his shoes, “would you mind if I took off my shirt? My clothes are kind of damp from the rain.”

Alexander looked surprised, “wait… how did you get here anyway?”

“I um… I ran?” John replied sheepishly.

Alexander started to laugh, “there’s an extra pair of pajamas in the top drawer of that dresser,” he said, putting to the dresser on the other side of the room, “they’re the plaid ones Mr. Wash… George let me borrow my first night here. They’re too big for me and he never took them back, so you’re more than welcome to borrow them”

John smiled, grabbed the pajamas and quickly changed in the bathroom attached to the bedroom. When he came back, he placed his clothes on the floor next to his shoes. He looked back up at Alexander who pulled the covers back and slid over. John slid under the covers next to him and, when Alexander looked nervous and like he was trying to say something, opened his arms. Alexander immediately curled up in John’s arms and closed his eyes, breathing quickly evening out.

It was around 5 when Alex fell asleep but John stayed awake with his arms around the boy, quick to soothe him every time his whimpers came back.

When 6:30 rolled around and Alex’s alarm went off, John whispered a soft “good morning” to the boy in his arms and received a sleepy yawn in response. He pressed a quick kiss to Alex’s forehead, changed back into his clothes and shoes, climbed back out his window and took off to hiss house to get ready for school.  

Maybe he was a little more exhausted by the time the group met up outside of school. His shoulders were slouching more than normal and he was slower to respond but he didn’t regret staying up all night.

He didn’t regret it when Alexander wordlessly gave him his extra thermos of coffee and a secret smile, only receiving a raised eyebrow from Lafayette.

He didn’t regret it when, during lunch, Alexander sat between him and Lafayette, instead of as close to the end as he could get.

He didn’t regret it when Alex kept his knee pressed up against his after they accidentally brushed.

He didn’t regret it when Alex hugged him after school and whispered a “thank you” that only he could hear.

He was exhausted but

Yeah…. It was worth it.

 

**\------------------**

Their friendship wasn’t fully cemented until it was Alexander’s turn to be there for John.

 

It was a month after Alexander’s nightmare and they were certainly getting closer but it wasn’t _them_ yet. It wasn’t midnight and John was sitting on the bridge about two miles from his house with his arms wrapped around himself and tears pouring down his cheeks. He heard footsteps behind him and quickly wiped his tears, yet he continued to stare down at the wild rapids below the bridge.

“John?” he heard a cautious voice ask from behind him, “John Laurens?”

He sighed and slowly turned around, “hey Alex.”

“What are you doing on here?” Alex asked as he slowly approached John, as if he’d disappear like a mirage if he got too close.

“It’s a nice night. I didn’t want to miss the stars,” John replied simply, shrugging and turning back to the raging water.

Alex nodded and looked up at the cloudy sky. Not a star in sight. He looked back at John, “can I sit with you?”

John shrugged again and Alex sat down next to him, wincing as the wet metal soaked through his pants, and joined John in staring at the water. Silence passed between the pair before John finally spoke up.

“What are you doing here, Alex?”

He’s gotten into the habit of being honest with John so he says, “I couldn’t get comfortable in my room and it felt like I was going to jump out of my skin so I snuck out.” John looked up at him and Alex froze at the look in his eyes, “I was hoping a walk would calm my nerves,” he finally finished.

John nodded slowly, “are you feeling better?”   
After the nightmare, John’s kept a close eyes on him. Constantly on the lookout for anything, essentially becoming Alex’s personal superhero, regardless of the fact that they weren’t exactly close.  

“Yeah, I’m better,” Alex replied, gently placing a hand on John’s shoulder, “are you alrigh-” he cuts off when he notices the tears pool in John’s eyes. Before John can make a sound, Alex pulls him close and gently rubs his back, whispering kind hearted words gently in his ear.

John wrapped his arms cautiously around Alex and let the tears fall as he wordlessly accepted the kindness Alex exhibited, “now will you tell me what’s going on?” Alex asked, keeping his voice soft and kind.

“I’m so tired,” John replied, voice slightly muffled by Alexander’s chest, “my father, he’s… he’s not a nice man.” Alex stiffened as John mentioned his father, yes he’s heard some things about the man but he doesn’t know the truth. “He doesn’t like me doing art and medicine and he,” John sniffled and lowered his voice as if the world was listening, “he said… he said some fucking terrible things and I,” he started to cry harder, “I can’t take it anymore, Alex. I can’t deal with this shit.”

Alex took John’s shoulders and gently pushed him back, hands still on his shoulders, to look him in the eye, “John, you don’t have to deal with it alone. I’m here, with you, beside you, and you _won’t_ have to deal with it alone. My father left when I was young and… and I can’t pretend to know the challenges you’re facing but I swear, from here on out, you won’t deal with it alone.”

John stared at him, tears pouring down his cheeks and whispered, “how can you be so sure?”   
  
Alexander smiled and wiped away his tears gently, “because I’ll be by your side. I’ll guard you and I’ll guide you, dear Laurens.”

John remembered something his sister, Martha, had him do just a few weeks ago and held up a pinky, “promise?”

Alex linked his pinky with John’s, Lafayette having him do this all the time, and smiled, “I promise. From here on out, except for different classes and going home, I’ll never leave your side.”

“I don’t want to go home yet.”

“Then don’t.”

So they remained sitting on the bridge, feet dangling over the edge, sides pressed together and pinkes still linked together. John rested his head on Alexander’s shoulder, “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Alexander replied, marveling at the warmth spreading from where their bodies are pressed together.

“For making you stay out here when you’d probably rather go home,” John muttered, feeling the tears pool in his eyes again.

“You didn’t make me do anything, John,” he said, looking over at him, “there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than here with you,” Alex finished, surprised at how honest it was.

After Alex’s confession, John rested his head on Alex’s shoulder and they remained in that position until 3 am when Alex could feel John getting heavier against his side and knew he was dozing off.

“John,” he whispered, gently nudging his side until he looked up.

“Hmm,” John grumbled in acknowledgement, reaching up to rub his eyes.

“Let’s get you home to bed, okay?” Alex said gently, “I’m sure everyone will be asleep,” he quickly amended at John’s terrified look.

“No! Don’t take me back there!” John nearly shouted, quickly standing up and looking as if he were about to run away from Alexander.

Alexander stood up with him and slowly reached out for him, “okay, I won’t. Not tonight. Would you like to go back to the Washington’s with me? It’s okay if you don’t, I mean we haven’t known each other for very long and I don’t want to make you uncomfortable in any way-”

“You don’t mind?” John asked, quiet voice cutting off Alex’s rambling.

Alexander quickly shook his head, “Of course not! I won’t let you go anywhere you don’t want to go.”

John rubbed at his eyes again, willing the tears to go away, “okay. If you don’t mind. I’d like to go with you. I really don’t want to go home.”

Alexander sent him a gently smile and took John’s hand, “then let’s go. I’ll protect you.”

Alexander did protect him. He kept his promise of never leaving John’s side unless necessary. He got as far as trying to change his schedule to match with John’s so he could keep his promise, he would have done it too if the guidance counsellor didn’t intervene by saying that Alexander _needed_ the advanced writing class and John _needed_ the advanced drawing class that were _only_ offered the _same_ periods.

 

They grew very close.

 

**\-------------**

They started dating towards the end of their sophomore year. In fact, their friends were surprised that they weren’t _already_ dating since they spent every possible moment together. Everyone who knew was supportive of the relationship. Meaning only one person wasn’t. Because they didn’t know. John’s father.

 

Alexander doesn’t blame John for not saying anything. He doesn’t blame John for introducing him as “my best friend, Alexander.” He’s not wrong, they are best friends. Absolutely. No doubt about it. But they’re not _just_ best friends. He doesn’t blame John for taking Martha Manning to prom junior year. She’s a nice girl. He does get to dance with John though and they spend the entire night together, after John sees Martha off to her girlfriend. He doesn’t blame John for not holding his hand once they get near John’s street during their walks home from school. No, he doesn’t blame John for anything. If he were in John’s shoes, he’d be doing the same thing. No, he blames John’s father. He blames John’s father for making his son pretend to be something he’s not. He blames John’s father for making the light slowly fade from John’s eyes. He blames John’s father for John calling him sobbing in the middle of the night. He blames John’s father for forcing him into pre law. He blames John’s father for the scars. Everything builds

 

And builds

 

_And builds_

 

**_And builds._ **

 

**_It explodes._ **

 

It all comes crashing down during their senior year. John was tired of pretending. So he tells his father he’s taking Alex, his _boyfriend_ to prom. He does.

 

They take photos together in Alex’s foster family’s living room. No, they adopted Alex last summer. They take photos together in Alex’s living room. His parents crying and doing everything parent’s should do, even though they aren’t blood related. Lafayette takes photos with Hercules and they’re still blushing when they hold hands. Then George puts the camera on a timer and the whole family they’ve found crowds together on the sofa for a group photo. George and Martha in the center, behind the sofa, with their arms around each other, and their children sitting on sofa in front of them. The camera takes three photos in quick succession. The first one: George and Martha smiling straight at the camera, Alexander pulling John onto his lap and laughing, and Hercules pressing a kiss to Lafayette’s cheek. The second one: George and Martha looking exasperated at their children with laughter dancing in their eyes, Alexander wrapping his arms around John’s waist and whispering in the blushing boy’s ear, and Lafayette wrapping an arm around Hercules’s shoulder and pressing a kiss to his temple. The third one: George and Martha, one arm wrapped around each other and George, with a hand on Alex’s shoulder, and Martha, with a hand on Lafayette’s shoulder, looking at each other as if they’ve found the sun in each other’s eyes, Alexander with John sitting in his lap with his arms wrapped firmly around John’s waist and his chin resting on John’s shoulder as John relaxes against his chest, happiness and love shining brightly in their eyes, Hercules and Lafayette leaning against each other, hands clasped firmly together with blushes adorning their cheeks. That’s the one the Washington’s place in frame that says ‘Family’ and hang in their family room. It never comes down.

 

John and Alex dance the night away at prom. They get drunk off spiked punch and share kisses with wandering hands. They ditch the afterparty and make their way across the parking lot to John’s car, laughter falling more than words. They’re more drunk off each other than the punch, Alexander’s hands never leaving John’s body. They kiss pressed up against the side of John’s car and they whisper promises to each other that no one will ever hear, even if they don’t last past tonight.

“Say you’ll love me every waking moment,” John whispers, breath caressing Alexander’s lips as they part for air.

“Say you need me with you now and always,” Alexander responds as he presses his lips back to John’s.

“Say you’ll share with me one love, one lifetime,” John murmurs, dragging Alex into the backseat of his car by his jacket.

“Say you need me with you, here beside you,” Alex says softly, as if it’s just the two of them in the entire world.

They share kisses laying in the backseat of John’s car. Eventually they fall asleep, jackets and ties off with shirts half unbuttoned, wrapped tightly around each other.

 

They wake up the following morning as the sun’s rising.

“I love you,” John says, trailing his fingers up and down Alex’s cheek.

“I love you,” Alex responds, leaning in and pressing a kiss to John’s lips.

He immediately makes a disgusted face, “Don’t kiss me, fucker. Your breath is disgusting.”

“Don’t be a dick,” Alex responds cheerfully and blows on John’s face.

“Oh my god, you’re so gross,” John responds, laughing and pushing Alex away.

“Come on, Joohhnnn. Kiss mee,” Alex says laughing as he pushes himself up.

“Have a mint and then I’ll consider it,” John replies, struggling to keep a straight face as he climbs into the driver’s seat, “and don’t stare at my ass.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Alex says, tearing his gaze away from John’s ass and climbing into the passenger seat, “want to get pancakes?”

“A man after my heart,” John laughs as he starts the car and heads to the nearest 24-hour diner.

 

**\-------------**

Their calm doesn’t last much longer.

Alexander startles away from his laptop at one in the morning when his phone begins buzzing insistently. He reaches for it blindly and accepts the call, “hello?”

“Alex?” asks a tearful voice from the other end.

“John?” He responds, immediately sitting up, “where are you? Are you okay?”

“I can't… I can't keep doing this,” there's a hiccup, “can you- can you,” a sniffle, “meet me,” nearly silent sob, “at the bridge?”

Alex is flying down the stairs before John can even finish the sentence, “yes. Yes, of course. I'll be there in just a minute. I love you.” The line goes dead and Alex runs faster.

Alexander gets to the bridge, not even, five minutes later to see John pacing on the edge, “John! Please get down, I'm here! I promise, I promise I'm here.”

John immediately turns upon hearing Alex’s voice and runs towards him, throwing his arms around Alex’s shoulders and burying his face in his chest, “I can't do this anymore.”

Alex wraps his arms around John and presses a kiss to the top of his head, “what can't you do anymore?”

“I can't deal with my father,” John mumbles into Alex’s chest before stepping away, “I left before he could do anything about me going to prom with you and he's been screaming at me since he woke up today!” He throws his hands up with tears pouring down his cheeks, “I give up! I can't do it anymore! Every time I tried to leave he stopped me but I finally bolted before he could move a muscle. I can't go back. I don't have a home, anymore.” John crumbles to the ground sobbing.

Alex sits down next to John and pulls him into his lap, “you have a home, John. You have me and we’ll get through this together. I promised you that years ago,” he wipes away some of John’s tears and pulls him closer when more keep coming, “have I broken my promise yet?”

John shook his head, “no. You haven’t. I just don't,” he sobs, “I don't know what to do anymore.”

Alex is quiet for a moment before pressing a kiss to John’s forehead and saying, “let me be your shelter, let me be your light.” Thinking back to their late night promises.

After a moment of silence, recognition dawns in John’s eyes and he remembers the first few nights spent together as a couple, “all I want is freedom,” he feels more tears slide down his cheeks, “a world with no more night.” He's always wanted to be free from this darkness that was his father but he makes a new promise to Alexander, “and you, always beside me.”

Alex freezes in shock before smiling and standing up, pulling John with him, he responds with his own new promise, “let me lead you from your solitude,” he grips John’s hands tightly, “anywhere you go let me go too.”

John stares at him, searching for something, “say the word, Alexander, and I will follow you.”

Alexander reachers a hand up and strokes John’s cheek, “share each day with me.”

John could feel a smile start to tug at his lips, “each night, each morning.”

“Say you love me.”

“You know I do.”

Alexander slowly gets down on one knee in front of John, “run away with me.”

“Wait, what? Are you serious, Alex?” John’s shocked, to say the least.

Alexander nods earnestly, “I've never been more serious. We've got a week and a half of school left and seniors have already taken finals. We don't need to be there for graduation, they'll mail us our diplomas. Our entire group has been accepted to colleges in New York so we’ll all see each other again. Let's just go.”

John stays silent for a minute, deep in thought, before nodding, “okay. Let's go.”

Alexander grins, “yeah?”

Any of John’s doubts immediately slip away at the joy in Alexander’s face so he grins back, “yeah.”

Alexander gets up, picks John up and spins him around while they're both laughing. He sets him back down and kisses him deeply, the joy and love they're sharing course through their veins.

“Okay,” Alexander says, pulling back from John, “we need our things. Or as much as we can take for now.”

John nods, “yeah. Um, let's go to mine first. I’ll need backup in case my father shows up.”

Alexander nods without question and follows John to his house, they sneak inside and up to John’s room, “John, I'll pack. You write notes for your siblings, I know that you want to.”

John nods, “yeah.. Yeah you're right. I know I can call and text them but yeah I should probably write something.”

So Alex packs when he knows John wants and needs and, when John’s done writing, he joins Alex in packing. When they're done, they take the suitcases silently downstairs and outside, and put them in the truck of John’s car.

They go to Alex’s. They make their way upstairs. When they get to Alex’s room, Lafayette is sitting on Alex’s bed.

“Are you leaving?”

“We have too,” Alexander responds, “but we’ll see you soon for college.”

Lafayette nods, “do you need help packing?”

Alexander nods and so they all pack what they can. When they're done, Alex sits at his desk and writes a letter to George and Martha. When he's done he hands it to Lafayette who immediately pulls him into a hug, “be safe, mon petit lion. Take care of each other.”

Alex hugs him back, “we will. Give that to mère et père.”

Lafayette nods, “I will.” They hug John and whispers the same thing but with an added, “it'll be okay, mon ami. Je t’aime, I'll see you soon.”

John returns the sentiments and they make their way downstairs. They put Alexander’s things into John’s trunk and give Lafayette one more hug before climbing into the car. As they pull out of the driveway, they wave and make their way out of town.

John reaches across the console for Alex’s hand, who immediately takes it and presses a kiss to the back of it. A soft warm smile is shared between the pair.

The sun is rising as they leave the city’s limits.

  
  
_“That’s all I ask of you.”_

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thank you for reading this. It took me like two weeks to write because I've been very busy with school. Please excuse any mistakes, it's unbetad. Let me know what you think and feel free to request a song. Have a wonderful day/night!!


End file.
